Garment bag



J. MEHL GARMENT BAG Sept. 1, 1942.

Filed April 12, 1940 ll HHWlWWHm-m ATTORNEY INVENTOR.

mp4 M Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE GARMENT BAG Jonah Mehl, Cincinnati, Ohio Application April 12, 1940, Serial No. 929,337 1 Claim. (01. 206-7) This invention relates to improvements in garment bags and, primarily, to a type used for individually packaging or enveloping dry cleaned garments suspended upon a hanger with a hookshaped shank of the hanger projected through an r the upper or closed head parent sheet material for the full length of the bag for visibility of the contents of the bag. Another object of the invention relates to a garment bag of flat tube type constituting a double-wall or panel structure, with one wall or front panel formed of a transparent cellulose sheeting, and the second or rear panel of paper, the panels joined with a seam along their opposite longitudinal edges by folding and overlapping the margins of the cellulose sheeting upon the relative margins of the paper sheeting, and adhesively securing the same together.

Another object of the invention is to provide the head end of the bag, about an opening or aperture located centrally thereof and through which the shank of a hanger is projected, with a reinforced collar to prevent tear.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the manner in which the continuous webs of material are assembled into a flat tube and cut into bag sections.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the improved garment bag.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the upper or closed end of the bag.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a plan view of reinforcing collar for the neck opening in the bag.

The garment bag follows in dimension and shape the pattern of the conventional paper bag universally employed by dry cleaners in packaging or enveloping garments suspended from a hanger. The bag, particularly for ladies wear, is of considerable length, exceeding the unfolded length of the garment, and, therefore, by formview taken on line ing one of the walls or panels from a highly transparent cellulose sheeting, the full length of the garment is visible, offering material advantages and benefit as providing immediate identification of the garment and a full display of the quality of the dry cleaning service and workmanship.

It has been experienced, in forming the bag in a flat tube with the full length of one wall or panel of transparent cellulose web, and the opposite wall or panel of a paper web, that, in the process of fabrication of the bag, the tube can be formed in a continuous operation from supply rolls of material, facilitating its manufacture, and enabling its production at a cost not unduly excessive comparative over an all-paper bag, that would not be prohibitive, through its marketing, for the purposes intended, aside from whatever advantages it may possess in its use.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates, for the purpose of identification, the rear wall or panel of the bag of a paper sheet material of a width corresponding slightly less than the full width of the bag, and, 2, front wall or panel of a highly transparent, sheeting of a web width slightly in excess of the width of the bag, or web width of the back wall or panel. The extra web width of the front panel, or web of cellulose sheeting, over the web width of the back panel of paper sheeting provides for folding and over-lapping the opposite longitudinal margins of the cellulose web, preferably externally upon the corresponding margins of the paper, and to which the overlapped margins are adhesively secured.

The margin folds of the cellulosic sheet are preferably made slightly beyond the opposite longitudinal edges of the paper sheet, and for a full size garment bag, a tolerance of about one-eighth of an inch is made from each of the opposite edges of the paper sheet, instead of making the line of fold directly along the edges. The opposite folded edges of the cellulosi'c sheet therefore project slightly beyond the edges o the paper sheet, the extra dimension accommodating for the excessive shrinkage of the cellulosic sheet over the paper, so that both always will lie smooth after united to form a tube. This tolerance also avoids cutting or injury to the cellulosic sheet along the line of fold as is occasioned when folded directly over the sharp edges of a paper sheet, and in pressing the margins down in adhesively joining the same to the paper sheet.

Such union of paper and cellulose sheeting to form a flat tube provides for the formation of a continuous tube in a continuous operation from exceedingly thin gauge cellulose.

a pair of respective supply rolls of material. These several webs are simultaneously, continuously advanced, one upon another, as unreeled from their respective supply rolls, preferably with the cellulose layer or web underneath. The opposite longitudinal edges or margins 33 of the cellulose web extend slightly beyond the corresponding edges of the upper paper layer. Continuously with the advance of the webs in their superposed arrangement, a continuous strip of adhesive is applied upon the upper side of the extending margins 33, and, with the advance of the composite web, the margins are folded upwardly and transversely inward to overlap and lie upon the upper or outer side of the margins of the paper web and adhere thereto, for both edges of the bag, thereby forming a continuous tube. The folding of the margins is accomplished, following a common practice, by stationary folding blades, which turn up and overlap the margins of the advancing web, and compression rollers, the compression rollers also serving to advance the webs. The continuous tube thus formed is cut into definite bag length sections. By this method, the opposite longitudinal edges of the bag constitute folded edges of thecellulcse material, free from the edges of the paper sheet, which renders it extremely tenacious to resist tear.

The several tube section edges at one end are folded inwardly at opposite sides of the center of the width of the bag, along angular lines-over and upon the back or paper panel, providing folds in the form-of gussets 55 which are adhesively secured upon the back panel, leaving an opening in the center of the head end of the back for the projection of a hook-shaped shank of a hang er therethrough. The opposite or lower end of the bag is left open for the insertion of a garment in the customarymanner, suspended upon a hanger.

The portion of the edges of the panels intermediate the gussets which are free to provide the opening for the hook and shank of the hanger, the raw edge of the cellulose sheeting, is easily susceptible to tear; and to-protect the same, the

edge is covered or bound by a collar composed of a piece of paper or other sheet material cut to preferred pattern and folded to provide a band portion 6 and a flat 7, to clasp over the intermediate portion of the head end of the outer panel, and to which it is adhesively secured. The collar is preferably of a dimension to extend slightly beyond the width of the opening to allow the opposite end portions of the collar to be folded with the gussets. The folding over of the opposite ends 8-8 of the collar with thegussets materially increases the ply thickness at the opposite ends of the opening, adding increased strength to resist tear against extreme pressure which may be imposed by carelessly passing the hook-shaped shank of a hanger therethrough, in enclosing the garment within the bag, and, which also resists tear under ordinary strain imposed upon the bag when suspended from the hanger. The front flap of the collar is of a dimension and configuration to provide an extended area of overhand upon the front panel, ample for printing andautographing thereon, as well asgiving finish to the structure aesthetically.

Having-described my invention, 1 claim:

A garment bag of flat tubular formation, comprising: a pair of panels, one of a paper sheet and the other of a transparent cellulose sheeting secured together along their oppositelongitudinal ends, the longitudinal margins-ofithe transparent sheeting overlapping and adhesively secured to the relative margins ofthepaper panel, one end of the tube folded upon itself in opposite direc tions from points adjacent the center of 'theitube to form opposite triangular gussets and leaving a medial edge portion of the panel unfolded .to provide an opening into the bag,-anda collar of folded sheet material marginally bindin-gandreinforcing the free edge of the transparent sheeting intervening said gussets for said :bag opening and having its opposite ends folded with the gussets, and having the exterior layer of the-collar of extended form to provide a marking tag for the bag.

JONAI-LMEHL. 

